Six Easy Tips To Prepare For A New Kitten

Welcoming a new kitten into your family is super exciting, they bring such joy and new mischief into your life.

If you’ve never owned a kitten before, read on to discover our top tips to ensure that your new kitten’s arrival is smooth and stress-free.

1. When Is The Best Time To Bring A Kitten Home?

Bringing a new kitten home is a time of adjustment for you and your household, made even more difficult if you have to rush back to work straight away.

It makes sense to plan for the kitty’s arrival into your family home.

Friday night is a great time to pick up your kitten so that you can spend time settling the kitten into your home over the weekend before leaving it alone for any length of time.

Likewise, school holidays or any time when you have a break from work would be perfect.

2. Kitten Proof The House

Kittens are very active, full of energy, curious, and will get into everything with the added bonus that they love to climb!

They will find things you thought were lost forever!

Get down on the floor at kitten height and remove or make safe everything you can see at that height and above.

That means no children’s toys, nerf gun pellets, wool/ribbon/string, marbles, and small pebbles.

Make sure balconies are off-limits and windows are kept closed or have fly screens installed.

Do not forget kittens jump and climb, and everything in their path is fair game.

Ensure that you have removed poisonous plants.

Also, note that lilies are poisonous to cats and should never be brought into your home.

3. Prepare A Kitten Bed

Cats love to hide and especially when you first get your kitten it’s nice to offer them a bed that is private so they feel like they have a safe place to retreat.

You could use the carrier you brought your cat home in.

Set up the carrier with a comfy blanket and toys to encourage the kitty to use it as its safe place.

Kitten beds can even be a box. Cats love to hide.

Even a cardboard box with a comfortable cushion and blanket to curl up in will be satisfactory.

Cats love hiding holes where they can escape to and watch the rest of the world from a safe place.

4. Stock Up On Kitty Litter

Even if you plan for your cat or kitten to have access to the outside, it’s important that they remain inside for at least the first week in a new place.

This helps to ensure that they understand that this is now ‘their home’ and that they know that this is where they get their meals and love from you.

Cats are naturally clean creatures. They do not like to dirty their environment unless they have no choice.

Get a good-sized kitty litter tray and plenty of kitty litter.

Place the kitty litter tray in a permanent position that is private and quiet and isn’t near a window where outside cats can peer in.

Encourage your kitten to use the kitty litter tray when he wakes up, and finishes eating, drinking, and playing.

With consistency, your kitten will soon get the idea that this is where they are supposed to do their toileting.

5. Provide A Quiet Place For Kitty

Decide on a quiet place in your home that your kitten or cat can retreat to and feel safe.

This might be in the laundry, a quiet corner of the living room, or in your bedroom. The ideal place is quiet and has limited foot traffic.

Ideally, the place will be able to be used to restrict the kitten’s access to the rest of the house at night or when you aren’t home.

Put the kitten’s bed, water, food, and a clean litter box in the area and encourage it to use this area.

Remember it is a good idea to isolate your kitten from other household pets until they have been cleared by your vet.

6. Get A Kitten Vet Check

It is vitally important that you take your new kitten to the vet within the first 72 hours of arrival.

Your vet will examine your kitten all over to ensure he has arrived in tip-top health.

It also gives you the opportunity to introduce your kitten to your vet and have a discussion about vaccinations, flea and worm control, and the best diet for a growing kitten.

We love kittens! If you are having problems getting your kitten settled into your home, our vets can help! Ask your question in the comments section below.

Further Reading

How to introduce a new kitten to the rest of the family?

Can you feed tuna to cats?

Are lilies poisonous to cats?